


Don’t Bank On It

by orphan_account



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Bickering Vampires, Cathy Bloom is a Good Bro, Cathy Bloom works in Customer Service, Claimjumping, Duo is just greedy, Fighting Over Blood Bank Supplies, Heero Knows a Guy Who Knows a Guy, Heero and Duo are Roommates, Heero has Connections, M/M, Smut Planned for Second Chapter, Tumblr Prompt, Unnatural November, Vampire AU, Wufei has Food Allergies, Wufei is STARVING, the author is a horrible person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-30 02:33:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12644364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Wufei keeps missing out on all of the AB-negative at the blood bank. He sticks around until after closing hours to catch the culprit.





	1. He's Got Connections

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by a Tumblr prompt and written for Unnatural November.

"I'm so sorry, Wufei. You've missed it again. Just gave out the last pint."

"Oh, come on!" Wufei threw up his hands in aggravation. "Really?!" That made six weeks in a row, now. It had to be the same guy every time, he realized. Every time Wufei tried to pick up his rations, he missed out on the AB negative. Someone was jumping his claim.

"Look, I've got vouchers that allow me one pint of my preferred type every week!"

"We know that," the clerk told him calmly. "I know. I know. You must find that very frustrating." She was using her customer service voice on him to defuse him, so Wufei crammed the vouchers back into his jeans pocket.

"I don't want to be like this," he told her. His voice was strained but resigned.

Her face softened. "I know you don't. Just come by earlier next time. I'll try to reserve you a bag if I can, but I can't make any promises."

"You keep telling me that. I won't waste my breath. You don't know what it's like, anyway."

"Sure, I don't," she agreed woodenly. "My little brother was turned last year."

"Still not the same," he sang over his shoulder as he turned and left. He caught her muttered "fuck you" before he was ten feet away. It chafed him, reminding him that he couldn't expect her to cater him, when there were scores of vamps in town, and only so much of his type to go around.

Why couldn't he be an O positive guy?

*

Duo juggled his shopping bags and his small cooler bag as he rummaged in his pockets for his keys. He struggled, threatening to drop one of the bags, and he made a distressed noise. Heero would _kill_ him if he dropped the eggs. Duo finally kicked the door impatiently, calling out, "Heero! Open up! My arms are full, dude!"

He heard the low footsteps inside and his roommate's annoyed sigh, then saw the shadow through the peephole. "You know it's me, you jerk!"

"You could be some rando," Heero taunted. He opened the door and gave Duo one of his rare smiles, or what passed for one with him. "Who are you, again?"

"Take a bag," Duo huffed. He shoved one of the grocery bags into his arms, and Heero even took the precious cooler bag from him. "Set that on the table. I'm starving!"

"I don't get you. You should have fed yesterday. Why wait until today?"

"I've got connections at the bank," Duo told him simply. "Fridays are the best days to go."

"You look like death warmed over," Heero accused. "Well. More than usual."

"Ha, ha. Funny. You're funny. Because that doesn't get old _at all_. Shut up and get me a straw, will ya?" Heero smirked and went to the cupboard, rummaging for the box of bendy straws. He handed one to Duo, who used the end of it to punch through the little foil seal, stuck it into the hole, and sucked the liquid down, moaning in relief as he did it. "Oh, man, you have no idea how much I needed this. _So_ good." His voice was garbled, and Heero grimaced.

"Don't... just don't. Don't talk with your mouth full."

Just to mess with him, Duo opened his mouth and waggled his now-red teeth, fangs and tongue at him. Heero turned on his heel and hurried out of the kitchen. "I just can't with you," he muttered. "Just don't get any on the rug."

Duo made rapturous noises in response to this, then caught a bit that dribbled out of the corner of his mouth, threatening his pristine white shirt. Right. _Time to quit messing around._ He slowly sipped it and worked on a sudoku puzzle and word jumble. Heero eventually came back, just as Duo was disposing of the empty bag, and they finished the crossword puzzle together. 

Duo always replaced the milk, even though he was never the one who finished it. Living with a baseline human was a challenge, but Heero and Duo made it work. Heero looked the other way in regard to Duo’s affliction, saying nothing when Duo occasionally showed up at home with streaks of blood around his lips, looking guilty and flushed with fresh, temporarily healthy color in his cheeks. Not everyone was willing to live with a bloodsucker, but Duo paid his half of the rent, he was a night owl like Heero, and he was a good judge of character. His vampiric instincts were right about his ex-boyfriend, Sven, who made Duo’s hackles go up as soon as he brought him home. He smelled wrong, and he had a mean glint in his eye. Heero came home with a black eye one morning. Duo repaid Sven for it by marching up to his apartment the following night, knocking on his door, and draining him of a pint. Painfully. Then, he threw his own shirt at him, warning him “Heero wanted me to return this to you. You can use it to clean that up. Don’t call him anymore.” Sven scuttled backward into the corner of the living room, too petrified to move until Duo slammed the door as he left. Those eerie, wicked red eyes, normally a soft blue-violet, seared their way into his soul. He’d have nightmares about them for _months_.

Heero was also the guy who knew a guy. He was well connected and worked at the hospital as a lab clerk. He also volunteered at the blood bank whenever they had donor drives. Naturally, he gave Duo Trowa’s name when Duo mentioned casually that he needed to supplement his hunts with a little freebie or two. Heero managed to sneak him extra vouchers every once in a while, and Duo wanted to feel guilty…

...yet he also wanted to feel _full_. And that blood type just _did it for him_. It went down easier and calmed his urges, warming his veins and replenishing his reserves. 

The blood was finished too soon. But Duo would be able to manage for a while, well enough to work, function, and to not look at every random person on the street like they were a Hot Pocket.

*

Wufei lingered in his apartment miserably, only coming out to get his mail. Sally noticed him by his slot, thumbing through his statements and junk offers, chucking the latter into the trash. “You look like hell,” she muttered.

“Yeah. Well. I keep getting shafted.”

“Hey. Don’t worry. I’ll do you a solid, okay? I work late shift tonight in the ER.” Sally was in her work scrubs, minus her usual lab coat. She smiled kindly and squeezed Wufei’s arm. “I’ll bring you home a little something to tide you over.”

Wufei’s face softened. “Sally… you don’t have to-”

“Shut up and nod. Tell me ‘Thank you, Sally, you beautiful creature and light of my life,’ because I need the validation.”

“Thank you, Sally, you beautiful creature and light of my life.” 

“God, that sounded cheesy. Never mind. Never tell me that again.” She patted his ice-cold cheek fondly. “Still sweet, though.”

“Thanks for… y’know.”

“Neighbors look out for each other. And you’re looking too thin.”

*

So, Wufei went back again. They were out. He headed home, kicking every trash can in his path on the way back, making passerby curse under their breath.

*

Sally did him another solid and brought him home two pints. He drew it out, sipping on them a bit at a time to ration himself, but the hunger gnawed at him. She finally took pity on him, drew him inside her apartment, and let him take a “pity bite.” He fed from her with excruciating gentleness, swamped with guilt. She smelled like flowers and her skin was smooth and warm, but he only allowed himself a minute to savor the experience, the buzz of fresh, whole blood crowding its way into his veins. It was a rush, but he pushed her away when she began to cling to him, combing her fingers through the satiny waves of his hair. It was a hazard of live feedings; sometimes, the “source” grew intoxicated from the sensation of blood being pulled to the surface, the tight seal of the vampire’s mouth clamped around the nerves around the jugular. As long as there was no fear or panic, and it was a mutual exchange, it could be fulfilling. Even erotic. But there was always a risk of growing carried away, of blood lust taking over, and Wufei wouldn’t risk that. A “quick sip” would do the trick. Supplementing with blood banked supplies was common and harmed no one, as long as the banks weren’t depleted beyond their ability replenish supplies through regular drives.

He managed to get there early enough the next week, and this time, the clerk gave him a winning smile before handing over three bags. Wufei smugly slid the vouchers across the counter. “You lucked out,” she told him.

Apparently, Duo picked that weekend to go out of town.

*

 

But Wufei missed it again the following week. He was irritated, exhausted, ravenous, and he’d had a shitty night of work twelve hours ago. He just wanted to kick back in the relative silence of his apartment, watch bad action movies, and drink his blood like a civilized man. Was that too much to ask? The clerk looked bored and resigned.

“Welp. I have a solution for you.”

“And what might that be?”

“Chill here. Seriously. Come at the beginning of the shift.”

“Uh, daylight?” he reminded her, pointing up at the sky, even though it was dark.

“I know that, dumb shit,” she hissed, putting aside her customer service etiquette. “I’ve got nothin’, buddy. I don’t know what else to tell you. If you managed to be here when the other guy gets here, you can talk to him. Tell him to cut you a break. Work out a deal.”

“I don’t just have all night to hang out here, just so I can catch him and beg him for blood!”

“Beg him? Buddy, you come here every week and we do this song and dance. I’m ready to kick his ass _for you_ if you don’t get the cojones to do it yourself.”

She kind of had a point.

“I can’t just hang out here all day,” Wufei grumbled.

“We might be able to work around that.” She glanced around the waiting area. The janitor was already unrolling the power cord on his vacuum, and the security guard was flipping the sign to “Closed” at the front window. “Come with me,” she whispered furtively. Wufei let her take him by the wrist and tug him quickly down the back corridor, going through the “Staff Only” door behind her desk. She headed three doors down, not bothering to turn on the lights. It was a supply room. 

“Look, you can hide out in here. I can keep you in here until the end of the shift, if you want. I’ll just put up the ‘closed for repairs’ sign, if you don’t mind hiding out. You’ll probably want to sleep anyway, right?”

“During the day?” He pondered this, and then Wufei shrugged. “That’s… fine, I guess.”

“Might as well chill. Show up a little before sunrise. Like, around five AM?” Wufei nodded. “Okay. Wear something comfy.”

And that was how Wufei found himself huddled under a couple of blankets and a drop cloth in the supply closet, dozing intermittently, still hearing the footsteps and traffic outside the supply closet door despite his earbuds and audiobooks. It was a crappy way to try to sleep, but the payoff would be worth it if Cathy, the clerk, managed to rouse him and get him his rations before his least favorite competition showed up and scalped it all.

Cathy knocked on the door, rousing him as she crept inside. “Hey. ‘Fei. You up? Let’s go. I saw him waiting in line. My backup is working the counter right now, because I’m on break.”

Wufei struggled groggily to his feet, hating the pasty way his mouth tasted and the feeling of waking up after sleeping all day. Yet, that was his life, wasn’t it? It was like taking an all-day depression nap _every day_. And he much preferred doing it at home, with a little aromatherapy, his favorite memory foam pillow, and a little white noise playing in the background. If he got a little lonely because he didn’t have a napping _partner_... well. There were worse things.

But, in the meantime, it was time to find out who kept swiping his dinner.

Wufei followed Cathy out, smoothing his now-messy ponytail. He wished he could see his reflection in the glass doorpanes to check his reflection, but he was certain he had bags under his eyes. They swept out through the door, coming up behind Cathy’s desk. Her backup, Quatre, a cute blond in aqua scrubs and day-glo green running shoes, glanced up in surprise. “You’re back early,” he accused her. “Who’s he?”

“An eager beaver,” she told him. “He has certain nutritional needs we haven’t been meeting.”

It dawned on him what she meant. “Oh.”

“Oh, no. You sure haven’t,” Wufei confirmed, raising one arched brow. 

Quatre looked away uneasily, rubbing his nape. He looked up as the next patient approached with a blood voucher, a young girl in a black hoodie with thumb-hole sleeves wearing silver rings on every finger. She grinned at Quatre with her pierced lip. “Thanks, gorgeous,” she told him when he slid a bag of A-positive across the counter. She hustled off after giving him a wink, and right behind her, a medium-height, slender man with cinnamon brown hair hanging down his back in a temptingly messy plait approached, looking smug. His eyes were an unearthly shade of violet blue, and Wufei stared at him, struck by their beauty. Cathy elbowed him, and Wufei shook himself, realizing that _this was the asshole who kept getting the jump on the blood type that he needed with no remorse whatsoever_.

“Hey. Gonna hook me up, Q?”

Quatre smiled nervously. “Uh…”

“What? Don’t tell me you’re out?” he pressed. He leaned in and murmured, “C’mon, man. You told me this was the time to show up.”

“Yeah, funny thing,” Wufei interrupted, and those eyes swung his way, roaming over him before they narrowed. “You’ve been beating my claim for it _every damned week_. And I’m getting fucking sick of it, pal.”

“Pfffft… hey. First come, first served. I can’t help it if you’re too slow, Petunia,” he told him, shrugging. “Early bird gets the worm.”

“Early bird…” Wufei sputtered. He lunged across the counter and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and exhaustion, the crick in his neck from sleeping in the supply room and hunger made his dark eyes glow an ominous red. His fangs extended themselves, and the donors waiting in the lobby caught sight of him; a few of them darted out the way they came in. “Do you have any idea… how fucking hard you’ve made it for me to eat?”

“There’s plenty of blood to go around!” Duo challenged, and he let his own fangs pay them a visit. He gave Wufei a rough shove back, and he was strong enough to free himself without much effort. “What’s the big deal if I like mine AB-negative?”

“Because it’s the only kind I can eat, damn it! Are you honestly that fucking selfish?!”

“The only kind…? Get the fuck outta here, buddy! Don’t try to put one over on me with that!”

“Yeah?” Wufei’s voice shook with anger. “I’ve got a negative rhesus factor, and I’m intolerant to every other kind, dumb ass! I’ve got a deficiency. I’ve had it since I was turned. You think my life is easy? You think it’s _fun_ needing the rarest blood type?”

Duo had the decency to wince. “Oh. Ouch…”

“You greedy fucker.”

“Guys, wanna take this outside?” Quatre suggested.

“Not til I get my blood,” Duo told him. “You said you had some for me.”

“You mean he has some for _me_.” Wufei jerked his thumb in toward his chest. “You can just fuck off, pal. I’m overdue.”

“Look, guys,” Quatre told them, “can we just talk about this for a minute?”

“Hey, you’ve been holding out,” Cathy told him, folding her arms and giving him the stink-eye.

“I wasn’t trying to be unfair,” Quatre argued. “I just… was just helping him out, he said, nodding to Duo. “And it’s not like I was always giving him the clinic’s supply.”

Duo and Wufei both just stared at him. “Wait,” Duo asked, lisping slightly because his fangs were still out, “what?”

“I might have… made do.”

“Meaning?” Wufei  scowled at the implications.

“I’m a frequent donor,” Quatre explained. “I’m a rare type.”

“So… wait. You mean you-”

“Oh, wow,” Wufei muttered. Awed, and a little squicked out. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to ask him on a date?”

Quatre looked sheepish. “I didn’t think you’d mind,” he told Duo.

“Look, that’s nice, but..” Duo mimicked Quatre’s earlier gesture, rubbing his own nape. He blushed a deep scarlet, remarkable considering the tendency vampires had _not_ to. “Uh.”

He was going to say it, Wufei gloated to himself.

“You’re… not really my type.”

_Asshole_.

Quatre got up quickly, vacating his seat and brushing past Cathy. “You’re back from your break, right?”

“Yep.” She took her seat back and sighed. “Okay. So. That was… revealing. So, here’s how it’s going to work out. He has an allergy,” she told Duo, jerking her head toward ‘Fei. “He’s undernourished. You have a preference. Which is nice, if you preferred a more common, more readily available type. And you just pissed off a valuable source, pal. And technically, what he was doing wasn’t exactly _ethical_.” Duo winced, then hung his head. “It really wasn’t. But, it doesn’t help that he was also diverting the supply to you. That can’t continue. So. Tell me what type you prefer as a second choice.”

“Aw, c’mon!” Duo smacked his fist on the counter, looking petulant. A few onlookers in the lobby watched in amusement, smirking behind magazine covers and Kindles.

“It’s either that, or you boys make nice and share,” Cathy pointed out. “Unless you wanna get stuck buddy feeding-”

“Get stuck doing _what?_ ” Wufei’s brows drew together.

“Y’know. Secondhand feeding. One of you gets to be the middle man. Sometimes it works out.”

They both stared at her cluelessly.

She sighed, and her voice was annoyed and aggrieved at having to explain it. “One of you. Drinks. The blood. Then. The other one. Drinks. From. YOU.”

Duo made a gagging noise. “Oh, my God…”

“I think I just threw up in my mouth a little,” Wufei admitted.

So. 

They were at an impasse.


	2. Sharing Takeout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duo and Wufei make a compromise that works out a little better than they'd hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kangofu-cb made some excellent points in my comments box about this story. Duo is a hot mess. He deserves to be smacked. I like making him a little problematic, though.
> 
> And I LOVE the idea of him pushing Wufei's buttons. :)

Wufei left the clinic with a full cooler bag. Duo left emptyhanded and guilty. Quatre left early, claiming that something disagreed with him. Cathy stayed for the rest of her shift, wondering how her life arrived here, karmically. She could have done anything else. Like, running away to join a circus. Surely that would have involved less petty drama.

Duo headed upstairs to his apartment roughly an hour later, hair mussed and clothes askew. He stopped at the Carl's Jr. parking lot and managed to lure a skater behind the bank of hedges on the other side of the drive-thru and took a generous drink. He tasted the faint tang of O-positive - it always tasted weird to him, managing to hit his palate just the wrong way every time - and fast food grease. Certainly not his favorite, but Duo couldn't afford to be as picky at the moment.

He really couldn't.

His evening didn't get any better when he arrived home to Heero's glare. He was sitting in the dark, smartphone in hand. His laptop screen threw up a bluish glow across his face, and Duo knew he was getting caught up on _Stranger Things_. "Hey."

"Hey. So. Quatre called."

Duo winced and headed to the fridge for a glass of water.

"Nothing to say?"

"Not much," he hedged.

"Seriously?!" Heero rolled his eyes and clapped his laptop shut after pausing his episode. He set it aside on the couch and joined Duo in the kitchen. Even his usual, casual lean looked annoyed, especially with his arms folded like that. Normally, Duo appreciated them, taut with muscle because he swam regularly. But, right now, he looked like he wanted to kick Duo's butt down the block. That little vein was standing out in his jaw, which was never a good sign.

"He was upset, to say the least. You used him."

"'Used him' is kind of a strong phrase-"

"You _leeched_ off of him, then."

"No, see? That's... that's not any better. Let's stick with 'used.'"

"Duo. C'mon. I thought that maybe Quatre would cut you a break once in a while, but I didn't think you'd take such advantage of him."

"You're overstating things again. Friends help friends. He's your friend. I'm your friend. That makes him a friend of a friend. Where's the harm in that?"

"When you feed off of him and compromise his job for the sake of a preference? Because you're picky? And when he calls me, crying because he feels foolish for expecting anything else?"

"Heero. C'mon." Duo sighed heavily as he filled his water glass. "Cut me some slack?"

"No!"

Well, that was abrupt.

Heero raked his fingers through his dark hair in frustration, tugging on it. "Look, Quatre's a sweetheart. Even if you don't like him that way, you could have done a better job of letting him down."

"I know he's sweet. I never said he wasn't!"  
"Yeah? Well, he is!" Heero insisted. "It takes a pretty special guy to offer you his own _blood_."

"I know that!" Duo took a gulp of his water before railing back, "But I never asked him for _his_! Don't you think that's a little desperate?"

"God, why are you like this? Can you admit that you were selfish?"

"I was _hungry_! didn't ask him to open a vein! I mean... I guess it's not the weirdest thing a guy's done to show me he likes me, but it's up there."

"Wow." Heero stalked off to his room, leaving Duo staring after him. He came back out dressed in his aviator's jacket and a skinny green scarf, beanie and carrying his laptop case. He stuffed his computer inside and zipped it up in sharp, annoyed motions.

"I'm gonna hang out with him for a while and help his sort this out. I'm going to give him a good, stern lecture about why he shouldn't go to extremes the next time he's interested in a guy, and why he never should have fallen for my train wreck of a roommate!"

"I'm not a train wreck!" Duo called out as he left.

"Don't wait up." Heero let the door slam shut after himself. Duo threw up his hands.

"Don't wait up," he mimicked, making his own voice a little more nasal and whiny. "Sure."

... he was going to be up all night, anyway, and Heero knew darn well it had little to do with him. Or Quatre.

Or a guilty conscience.

Duo sighed.

"Damn it."

Okay. So. Maybe he did owe Wufei an apology. Maybe more than that. Duo's mind took him on a journey, back to when he was first turned. How it felt. Starving, his conscience always warring with his body's needs and urges. How horrible it felt the first time he drained someone, followed by the sheer euphoria of the hot, nourishing plasma entering his veins as he stole it. How it left him feeling almost alive again. He remembered how he grew accustomed to it, slowly ignoring, then abandoning the regret. Feeding came easily to him now. Cathy was right. There was no need to be "picky" or greedy about his specific preference. Not when Wufei was suffering because of it. Duo tugged on his braid and sighed again.

Then, he grabbed his own coat and headed back out to the clinic.

*

"I can't give out patient addresses," Cathy told him. "The most that I can do is leave him a message here, if he shows up again." She folded her arms. "Have you thought about what I told you before? My little suggestion?"

"Pffffft... no. That's just... no. Of course not."

"It's still worth thinking about," she sang. "It's almost Friday." Her blue-gray eyes reflected amusement at his expense, and Duo supposed he had it coming.  

“I’m not that desperate. Look, y’know what? What else’ve you got? B-negative? That might work.”

“I had a guy tell me it tasted like dirty feet. But, hey, it might work out for you.” Cathy pushed a bag across the counter at him and took his voucher. “Okay! All set.”

“Hey! Uh… wait a sec.” Duo reached into his pocket and peeked at his phone to remind himself what his phone number was, since even vampirism hadn’t solved his janky memory. “Got a pen?”

“Sure.” She handed him a Bic and a Post-It stack. 

“Look, I can’t have his address, but… y’know. If he shows up, have him call me?”

“I can give it to him, but it’s up to him if he wants to get in touch.”

“I know that. Just… take it. See if he’ll take it.”

“No worries. Let me know how the B-negative works out for you.”

*

A half an hour later, Duo was hunched over the kitchen sink, spitting out a mouthful of the rancid-tasting blood. “Oh, my God… it’s like feet. Sasquatch’s feet after a three-week trek through the woods,” he rasped.

He hoped to God that Wufei called, and that they could work something out.

*

“Two bags. Glad you don’t have to leave emptyhanded this time,” Cathy mused.

“Yeah, it’s nice for a change. Hey. Um. Does your friend still work here? The blond?”

“No. He transferred to the main hospital admitting desk. Pays more, anyway, than working at a tiny clinic like this one. So, that’ll work out better for him in the long run. He starts in a week, and he’s taking some time off in the meantime.”

Wufei made a thoughtful noise and nodded. “Good for him.”

“It was just the sensible thing to do.”

“Well, thanks. For, y’know. Helping me.”

“Hey, you’re welcome. I just… I didn’t realize you had feeding issues, and that this was such a hardship.” Then something occurred to her just as he was turning to leave. “Hey. ‘Fei, I have something. Don’t go quite yet.” She dug in her desk drawer and produced a sticky note. “So. I know he’s not your favorite person right about now, but Mr. Wonderful stopped by and was hoping to get a hold of you.”

Wufei’s brows drew together and he blew out an exasperated breath. “Really?!”

“Uh-huh. I think he might want to talk to you about your predicament. And his. And that little solution to the problem that I mentioned before.”

“Cathy… honestly? I know know where that guy has been. Buddy feeding just sounds so… unsanitary.”

“So? Technically, you’re mostly dead? Germs aren’t really an issue anymore.” Vampirism was a long-acting virus. The beneficial traits depended on the intake of healthy blood cells and in return, the average vampire had strong immunity to dozens of diseases. 

“It just seems… icky.” Wufei grimaced, but Cathy chuckled.

“Hey, for some people, it works out. It’s almost like live feeding, when you think of it.”

“Nothing’s like live feeding,” Wufei corrected her. 

“Yeah. Well. Guess I wouldn’t know. Anyway, that’s his number. If you want to consider it.”

“Sure.” He glanced down at it, tempted to throw it out.

But he glanced down at his bags. Two of them. They’d get him through that week until his next pickup. Still…

He tucked the slip into his pocket. Cathy tried to suppress her smile.

*

 

Duo watched the security monitors from his desk, only two hours into his guard shift and horrendously bored. _And hungry_ , his stomach reminded him. _Let’s not forget hungry_. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. He hoped he made it on time to get at least one good bag from the clinic, but he knew Cathy wasn’t likely to cut him any slack. 

Maybe O-positive. He’d managed with it before. It was so hard… he hadn’t meant to develop a preference. Being a vamp and being choosy didn’t go hand in hand. 

Duo looked up from the half-finished crossword puzzle when his phone buzzed at him. That shook him from his stupor. He swiped the screen and read the text.

_So. I’ve got two bags of AB-neg. Cathy gave me your number?_

“Shit…”

The screen bubbled at him while Wufei worked on another text. Then,

_This whole buddy feeding thing… it sounds… gross._

Then, 

_But… I can be flexible. Slightly._

Excitement made Duo punch the air. “Oh, dude, you just made my night,” he said aloud as he fired back another text. And another. And another.

Ten messages back and forth later, they had a dinner date.

*

 

They decided to meet at Duo’s, since Heero was still mad at him and he was spending more time with Quatre, lately, as if to lend weight to his assertion that Quatre was “a sweet guy.” Duo went through the apartment, tidying it up, cleaning up the dishes (even though he didn’t really _use_ them, but he wasn’t a dick), spraying a little Febreze on the couches, vacuuming, and wiping off the bathroom mirror and toilet seat. Good enough. He even fluffed the couch pillows a little and turned on a little music to calm his nerves.

Wufei showed up fashionably late, late enough that Duo began to have his doubts and to wonder if ‘Fei wanted to back out of their arrangement before it even began. Duo couldn’t blame him for having jitters. He’d only just met him. They’d _certainly_ gotten off on the wrong foot. And now, here they were. 

They were about to share blood.

It was… intimate. It involved a lot of trust, not unlike a “pity bite” when your source was willing to work with you. Wufei called him the night after they texted and just… talked to him. Told him a little about himself. How he was more of a cat person than dog person. An Aries. About all his food allergies and suppressed immunity when he was still a norm. About how his family disowned him, out of fear. About how terrified he was the night he was turned, and how uncertain everything still felt now that he’d had the chance to adjust and to accept it. (Hint: He really hadn’t.)

And, maybe Duo liked the sound of his voice and the edge of uncertainty in his voice, and his honesty. Maybe he was still feeling guilty, above and beyond necessity. Maybe… the concept of a “buddy feeding” wasn’t as horrible as other arrangements Duo could make. Finding an agreeable, live source… could lead to misunderstandings. Like what happened with Quatre. Duo winced at the memory of Quatre’s face, how wrecked he looked.

The knock at his door stirred him from his musings and ugly thoughts. Duo wished he could see his own reflection, but he’d showered, washed his hair and slicked it back into a half-ponytail, and he was wearing a pair of black jeans that earned him a lot of attention on the occasions where he hit the bars… more specifically, the alleys behind the bars when the need to feed hit him. “Just a sec!” he called out as he rushed to answer the door. He paused as he unlocked the bolts, let out a shaky breath, and opened the door to find Wufei…

… looking, literally and figuratively, good enough to eat.

_Wow_.

He had his hair down. It hung just past his shoulders. He wore a dri-fit hoodie and skinny jeans, and his cheeks were slightly pink from the cold. He stood there, clutching a cooler bag. He smelled… delicious. “Glad i got the address right,” he murmured. “Hey.”

“Hey. Um, come in.” Duo stepped aside and motioned to him to come inside, and Wufei hesitated a moment before crossing the threshold. Duo felt his pulse flicker, something it hadn’t done in forever. Wufei was easy on the eyes, and he enjoyed the way he moved, watching his long, dexterous fingers lightly skim over surfaces of Duo’s things, along the furniture… he hoped to God he wasn’t checking it all for dust. He glanced back at Duo and asked, “Can I take this off?” He gripped the collar of his hoodie, and Duo nodded as he closed the door, locking it. Wufei looked nervous, even a little discomfited, but he took off his hoodie and carefully laid it over the side of the couch.

Oh.

Wow.  
Duo hadn’t been able to appreciate it before, but Wufei had beautiful muscle tone. He was lean and compact, with graceful veins running over his arms and cords of muscle in his neck. His skin was creamy and fair, but Duo noticed a few tiny freckles under his eyes and dusted across his nose. His eyes were so dark that Duo could barely see his pupils. They were intense. Duo wanted to stare into them all night.

The jugular vein in his throat beckoned to him. Taunting him. Playing with Duo’s self-control. Wufei swallowed and licked his lips. “Um. I brought over… dinner.” He held up the cooler bag. “Do you want… I mean… how do you want to do this?”

“Well, you brought it. You should eat… first.”

“And then, you-”

“Yeah. That should work, shouldn’t it?”

“Will it bother you? Watching me eat?”

Duo shook his head.

“I always get self-conscious about it,” Wufei admitted. “I don’t like anyone watching me feed.”

“Doesn’t bother me much,” Duo shrugged. “Unless you end up with someone watching who gets off on it. That skeeves me out.”

“Ew. Yeah.” Wufei grimaced. “I hate that.”

“The stuff that people get off on,” Duo muttered. “So. Anyway, go ahead and… get started. Wanna sit down?” Duo motioned to the couch. “Is the music annoying you? I can turn it off?”

“No. It’s fine. I’ve got that song on my Spotify list.”

“It’s kinda my favorite.” Duo’s shoulders began to relax, and some of the knots in his gut unclenched themselves as Wufei sat on one end of his couch. Duo sat at the other, with a broad gap between them. He didn’t want to crowd him. He tucked his legs up under him and watched Wufei unzip the cooler, taking out the bag, garnet red and tempting. Wufei contemplated it. 

“You’re still fine with this?”

“If you’re asking me if I wanna change my mind and just take the bag, don’t think I don’t want to say yes right now, buddy. But, I’m willing to give this a shot.” Duo looked a little ashamed. “I don’t want you to go without. I’m still really sorry I was an asshole. I was selfish. It’s just… I got used to that type. For whatever the reason, it was just more satisfying. Felt right going down. Nice and smooth.”

“You sound like a Jim Beam commercial,” Wufei muttered. Duo chuckled.

“Once you go AB-Negative, you never go back.”

“I wish it was just a preference with me,” Wufei admitted as he toyed with the bag, turning it over in his hands. “I don’t want either of us going hungry. And it’s hard to find a live source.”

“I know.”

“Bad enough it’s a rare type, but Duo… there are some freaks out there.”

“Ohhhhhhhh, yeah, there are.”

Neither of them wanted to expand on that discussion. Not yet.

Wufei made the decision. “Okay. “Let’s do this.”

“That’s a nice shirt. You sure you want to keep that on? I mean, I try to be a neat eater, but-”

“Oh. That’s… a good point.” Wufei glanced down at his snug black tee. “Let me take a little, first. Then I can lose the shirt.”

Duo’s heartbeat quickened in anticipation. As much as he wanted the blood, the thought of seeing more of his perfect skin was doing things to him.

Wufei gave Duo a crooked smile and undid the stopper on the bag, and then he tipped it back, taking several long, thirsty gulps. Duo watched the liquid work its way down his throat, noticing the flex of those muscles and the tempting way those veins swelled as he fed. Duo’s gut clenched up again, and he felt unwanted heat flood into his groin. 

Damn it, he made eating look hot with his lips pursed around the spout and his head tipped back, his long fingers wrapped around the bag so carefully, so as to not grip it too tightly and make a mess. Wufei hummed in contentment and paused in his drinking, gently wiping a stray streak of it from his lips and licking it off. Seeing that tongue dart out to clean it off of his fingers… Duo couldn’t stop staring.

“Okay. That took the edge off,” Wufei told him. “Do you want to start now-”

“Drink some more,” Duo told him. His voice was dark and held a note of desperation. He _needed_ to see Wufei do that again.

‘Fei’s brows drew together. “You sure? I can even share a little of this, if you want?”

“No. I want…” Duo’s fists clenched in his lap. “I want… to watch you drink it.”

“Your eyes. They’re red. Duo, you’re starving,” Wufei murmured. “I don’t want to make you wait too long.”

“You won’t. Go ahead and drink. Take as much as you want.”

Wufei’s brows rumpled for a moment, but he lifted the bag to his lips again. Duo gave him his full attention as he watched more of the precious liquid make its way down his exquisite throat. He slowly depleted the bag, and heat rushed through Duo with the sensuous enjoyment Wufei was taking from his nourishment. Duo imagined the salty tang on his own tongue and the warmth flowing freshly through his own veins.

And watching his mouth sucking on that bag made him hard as a rock.

“Just like that,” Duo muttered.

“Hmmm?”

“Nothing.”

“Duo?”

“Yeah?”

“...are you getting off on this?”

Duo shrugged noncommittally and rubbed his nape. He clamped his thighs together and looked away.

Wufei stoppered the bag and set it down. “I don’t think I want you to have to wait too long.” His voice was soft and kind. He sounded more relaxed, now that he’d fed, and his skin had a rosier flush than it had when he walked into the apartment. 

“You can finish it.”

“Not until you get a taste, Duo.”

“But-”

“You’re the host. You haven’t eaten anything yet.” Wufei gave him a smug look as he stood up. He was staring at Duo as he reached down for the hem of his shirt, untucking it from the waist of his jeans, and reached back and tugged it off in one smooth motion.

A twelve-pack. Rippling. Mouth-watering. Two tiny, perfect beige nipples. Perfectly smooth skin, except for a slender, dark happy trail leading down from the edge of his navel. His jeans rode just low enough that Duo could see the dents of his hips.

“Jesus,” Duo whispered.

“No sense staining my shirt. That one’s my favorite. You… you still want to do this here?”

Duo nodded, and Wufei sat back down, this time meeting him halfway at the center of the couch. Duo didn’t want to seem too eager, but he knew his eyes were glowing with hunger, and his hands were beginning to shake. And Wufei’s throat was so graceful and tempting. Wufei gently swept aside his fall of hair for him as Duo eased over the rest of the way until their thighs touched. Duo was uncertain of where to put his hands, as though this was his first time feeding.

“Does it matter which side?”

“Left,” Wufei offered. “It’s my less dominant side. I don’t cradle my phone on that side, or sleep on that side.”

“That’s… fine.”

Duo leaned in, gently cradling the right side of his neck in his cool palm urging him to tip his head. His thumb stroked Wufei’s smooth cheek as he dipped his head, letting his fangs slow extend. Duo felt Wufei quiver with anticipation of the bite, of the impending sting and burn. “I’ll try not to make it hurt too much,” Duo promised.

“It’s… it’s okay.”

“Okay.” Wufei’s scent was so tempting. His lips were still glazed slightly red and his skin was warm from the blood. Duo zeroed in on the vein, brushed Wufei’s neck experimentally with his lips, almost in apology, and Wufei shivered. Duo’s eyes were blown and deep, glowing red, and he let them drift shut as he sank his fangs into Wufei’s vulnerable, tender flesh. He heard Wufei gasp and felt his whole body tense as the first wave of blood flowed over Duo’s tongue. It was amazing, better than it tasted out of the bag, warm and rich, and Duo moaned in contentment. He lapped at the twin wounds, stroking over Wufei’s flesh, trying to catch it all before it could dribble. Wufei rocked into Duo’s grip, and Duo realized he was holding him, hand still cradling the other side of his throat, but his arm was wrapped around Wufei’s narrow, taut waist, palm splayed against his back.

“Oh.” Wufei’s voice was breathy. “That’s… not so bad.”

“Mmmph.”

“I know you’re trying… to eat… right now, but - oh, God, right there… that’s the spot, right there, do that thing with your tongue.”

Desire shot through Wufei as the sensation of Duo’s tongue as it lapped at him, both Wufei’s essence and attempting to soothe the painful punctures, but the sharpness of the pain mingled with the sensual pleasure of Duo’s mouth sealed around his flesh, his breath swirling hotly over it, bringing the swirl of his satiny tongue with it. Duo smelled good, and Wufei gave in to the temptation to touch his hair, stroking his fingers through the long, chestnut tresses. The smell of his shampoo wafted up and flooded Wufei’s senses. It was dizzying, feeling the blood being pulled from his body, listening to Duo moan and sigh.

Duo felt Wufei growing more slack in his arms. Almost limp. He broke suction and lapped briefly, just a couple of soft, apologetic strokes before he pulled away. Wufei’s eyes were hazy and glassy, but his face was slack with pleasure.

He looked like he’d just been fucked.

“Just… put some pressure on that. Hold on, let me get something to dress that with.”

“You still hungry?” Wufei’s voice was a little hoarse. Rough. Sexy. Duo shook his head, even though it was a lie. He could drink from Wufei all night, even if it was just to wallow at his neck, nibbling. Kissing. Sucking. Breathing him in. _Damn it_. Wufei’s hand drifted up to press against the wounds, and Duo saw a few drops leak down past his collarbone.

“No. Just… stay there. Don’t move.” Wufei relaxed, still looking dazed. Duo got up and rushed to the bathroom. He wished he could see his own reflection to see if he looked anything like Wufei did right now. 

He rummaged in the bathroom cabinet and fished out the box of telfa bandages. He grabbed a washcloth and ran it under cold water. Duo rushed back out and knelt in front of Wufei. Wufei gave him a bleary smile.

“That. That wasn’t awful.”

Duo’s brows beetled, and he chuckled outright. “You liked that?”

“I kinda did.”

“It’s… it’s risky. I didn’t want to take too much.”

“I felt fine. Just dandy.”

“Just dandy?” Duo tried not to giggle and failed miserably. He reached up and carefully cleaned ‘Fei’s neck, mopping up the red streaks. Wufei moaned in relief.

“That’s nice.”

“I’m gonna wrap it up, okay?”

“Okay.” He was so agreeable, and he closed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips as he settled back against the couch.

“Do me a favor and drink some more of that blood?”

“I just did!”

“I know. And I took a lot of it from you. Have some more, okay?”

“Mm-kay…” Wufei fumbled for the bag and took another drag from it, finally draining it. His healthy color was back, and he was so relaxed as Duo finished applying the bandages, covering the wounds. He swabbed the cloth over his skin, making sure the rest of the streaks were gone. 

“Might want to put your shirt back in. It’s a little drafty in… here.” Wufei sat up from the couch and removed the cloth from Duo’s grasp, chucking it onto the coffee table. He reached for Duo’s hand and pulled him close, cradling the side of his face and kissing him with hunger. Duo made a surprised noise, but he went with it, letting Wufei taste him, this time. Wufei’s tongue teased him, and his fingers tangled in Duo’s hair, loving the feel of it. Duo leaned over Wufei, arms caging him in, hands planted on the couch outside Wufei’s hips as they kissed. Duo’s fangs hadn’t retracted yet, and he inadvertently nicked him, but Wufei didn’t mind. His breathing was shaky and uneven.

Those were Duo’s hands touching him, exploring his skin and challenging his assumption that Wufei would be cold without his shirt. Wufei felt himself heating up beneath his hands, and he wanted to feel Duo’s hair brushing over him. He reached up and freed it from its sloppy ponytail, letting it fall down around his neck and trail down his chest. It felt so rich and soft and smelled so good. Wufei and Duo tumbled back onto the couch, sprawled together and growing tired of their clothes.

Each item gradually landed on the floor, and they lay in a tangle of limbs, arching and moving against each other while Duo draining hot kisses from Wufei’s mouth. Until Wufei gripped the back of Duo’s hair, tugging on it to make him tip his head back. Wufei leaned up and laved Duo’s throat, making him moan curses.

“You feel so good… s’been too long,” Wufei rasped.

“Why? Why’s it been so long, ‘Fei?” Duo’s eyes were violet again, thanks to a generous feeding, and they were hazy with desire.

“I don’t trust what I’m like,” he admitted. “When I feed… or do anything else where I need to be in control.”

“Yeah?” Duo kissed him, hard and deep, and he aimed to prove to him that it was worth the wait. Wufei clung to him, tugging at him, stroking Duo’s skin. He gripped Duo’s hips, urging him to ground down against him. He was hard, leaking, and he was dizzy with lust. “You don’t have to hold back with me, ‘Fei.”

“Duo…”

“You look so good, ‘Fei. You feel so good. I wanna eat you up.”

Fei’s eyes were dark with need. “Then maybe you should.”

Duo kissed him in earnest, Tongues, lips and fangs clashed as they rutted together. Wufei’s fingers remained tangled in Duo’s hair as he moved south, lapping at his neck again, his collarbones, licking a path between his pecks. He tasted one of his nipples, feeling it strain inside his mouth. Duo circled it with his tongue, humming at the hint of saltiness that he tasted on Wufei’s skin. Wufei arched up into his mouth, clutching at his head to hold him there.

Duo spent the next hour feasting on every inch of Wufei, ending with Wufei’s pulsing, straining cock thrust deeply down his throat. When Wufei came, his whole body arched, his toes curled, and Duo knew he woke his neighbors, but damn, it was worth it, to see him like that, to watch his face. His dark hair was fanned out over the couch cushion, and his eyes were bleary with bliss.

They were both panting and slack, tangled together and listening to each other breathe. “So. Buddy feeding,” Duo murmured. “I’d say that was a success. God, ‘Fei… I’m gonna let you have the bag first every time if we can do this again.”

“That was incredible,” Wufei agreed softly. His arms tightened around Duo, and Duo kissed his collarbone in response.”Are you always like that after you eat?”

“No. Just… when we did that. It felt different. More… connected. And you taste so good.”

“I have a second bag at home,” Wufei suggested. His voice was rich with promise.

“Don’t tempt me.”

“I think I like tempting you.”

“Then decide if you want me to feed off of you, or you off of me. Because that was a rush.” 

“I’m leaning toward you feeding off me again. You don’t mind getting the blood second-hand?”

“Not when it’s coming from you. God, ‘Fei… that was incredible.” Duo’s face was awed and admiring. He stroked ‘Fei’s satiny black locks back from his face. “I’m sorry I hogged the only type you could eat.”

“You’re forgiven.” Wufei had a thought. “Y’know… the jugular’s nice, but have you ever fed from the femoral artery?”

Duo’s smile spread slowly across his face.

Dinner would never be boring again.


End file.
